As your liquor store in Knoxville, we try to keep updated with all things liquor related. Here’s what got us researching lately: In wine terminology, the words “varietal” and “variety” are often used interchangeably even though they mean two very different things.
A variety is simply a variety of grape vine and should be treated as a noun.
Varietal is adjective referring to a product itself that is composed of a specific variety.
Varietal Wine
This is made from a single grape variety or a dominant variety with smaller amounts of others blended in. The legal percentage in order to label a bottle and sell in liquor stores as a specific variety differs across the globe. This is to preserve the integrity of the final product.
Oregon state law requires winemakers to use at least 90% pinot noir grapes in order to label it as pinot noir. Other varieties like syrah, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot only need to contain at least 75% of the named variety. This is the same for all wines in California.
However in Burgundy, almost without exception, the whites are required by French law to be 100% chardonnay and the reds 100% pinot noir. European laws tend to be stricter to establish tiers of quality.
Drop by your local liquor store in Knoxville and pick out your favorite bottle of wine – be it varietal or not!
Cheers-
Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, Always of Good Cheer! Your Friendly Farragut wine and liquor store ! Conveniently located on the West End of Turkey Creek in Farragut. It is our pleasure to assist in picking the perfect wine or liquor for your enjoyment. Visit us today and check out our full inventory that includes popular, premium, and even extremely rare wines and spirits. Don't forget we also sell beer, mixers and other wine accessories. Visit our website www.campbellstationwine.com or call 865.966.7122
After picking out your favorite bottle at your liquor store or wine store in Knoxville, the quality of how you serve is now in your hands. Serving wine at certain temperatures can and will affect the way it tastes which is why there are ideal temperatures for each kind. To help you out, here are 3 rules to serve as your wine temperature serving guide:
Serve your wine at the right temperature
1.) Sparkling wine should be served ice-cold
About an hour or so before opening, leave your bubbly in the freezer until it’s about 40-50 degrees cold. An alternative would be to place it in a bucket of ice for 30 minutes. This is because the ice-cold temperature will help keep the bubbles fine rather than foamy. Once opened, keep it on ice.
2.) White wine and Rosé should be served cold
White wine and Rosé are meant to be served chilled but not necessarily ice-cold. Store it in a cool place immediately after purchasing it from your local liquor store. If you plan to drink it soon, leave it in the fridge for a few hours or keep it in the freezer for about 30 minutes until it’s about 50-60 degrees. After opening, let your bottle cool on the table and enjoy how the wine’s aroma slightly changes as it cools down.
3.) Red wine should be served cool
As a liquor store, we get a lot of questions about wine. A common misconception we hear for serving red wine is that it has to be at room temperature. Bear in mind that “room temperature” can mean vastly different things in other parts of the world. We recommend slightly cooling it by placing it in the fridge for an hour before serving, just until it’s about 60-70 degrees. If you need it sooner, you can keep it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. After opening, let it cool down by leaving it on the table instead of on ice.
Should you require any assistance or more information, drop by your local liquor store or wine store in Knoxville and they’ll be happy to help!
Cheers-
Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, Always of Good Cheer! Your Friendly Farragut wine and liquor store ! Conveniently located on the West End of Turkey Creek in Farragut. It is our pleasure to assist in picking the perfect wine or liquor for your enjoyment. Visit us today and check out our full inventory that includes popular, premium, and even extremely rare wines and spirits. Don't forget we also sell beer, mixers and other wine accessories. Visit our website www.campbellstationwine.com or call 865.966.7122
3 Rules For Serving Every Type of Wine At The Right Temperature
Here at Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, we make sure to really know our business so that whenever people come into our liquor store in Farragut with any questions, we can answer them! With that being said, we thought we’d share some of our knowledge on everyone’s favorite dinner drink and bust some myths that are widely held to be the truth. So, if you want to test your knowledge, then keep on reading!
Myth 1: Aim for a “pop”
The response to this one is “no, don’t”. If you’re hearing a pop when opening your bottle, then you’re losing all the CO2 that’s in there, and your drink won’t be sparkling for long!
Rather than looking for the pop, aim for what’s known as an “angel’s sigh”. This means that you avoid creating a vacuum in the bottle and losing all the CO2, and your champagne will taste all the better for it.
Myth 2: You must always store in a cellarTrue, this offers a better storage condition than others, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be in a cellar to be a good storage place – the wine in our liquor store in Farragut is stored on shelves, after all!
The optimum temperature for storage is around 55°F for wines intended for aging, with the temperature being kept as stable as possible as high as 70°F for regular wine, without any negative impact. If you can keep your wine in a cellar, that’s great! If not, you could try asking an electrician to amend an old fridge’s temperature to the optimum and store your bottles there.
Myth 3: High quality must mean it’s really expensive, right?This is a misunderstanding held by many people. Surprisingly enough, good quality doesn’t have to be hugely expensive, and for the most part you can find a decent bottle around $25.
For a dinner party, it’s generally recommended to look at a starting price of around $30 to ensure the quality, however you can find good wines at a lower price point if you’re open to some trial and error. Alternatively, your local liquor store in Farragut can offer advice as to which bottles are best for your purposes.
Myth 4: It will keep for days after I’ve opened the bottle!Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Those with a higher alcohol content will tend to keep for longer, but it’s generally recommended that you drink an opened bottle within the evening, and try not to leave it longer than overnight.
Many people tend to think their opened bottles will keep for a few days, but why compromise the quality of your drink? If you think you need more information about how long your drinks will keep, regardless of the type, pop into our local liquor store in Farragut, and we’ll be happy to help.
Myth 5: It has… legs?As a liquor store in Farragut, we’re sometimes asked what it means when someone says their wine has legs. What this generally refers to is the alcohol content in the drink, and not actual legs!
Despite what you may have heard, wine legs or ‘tears’ are not an indication of quality of wine. It’s actually a scientific phenomenon that can tell you key information about the alcohol level in wine.
§ High alcohol wines collect a higher density of droplets on the sides of the glass than low alcohol wines
§ Sweeter wines are more viscous the tears will flow slower down the sides of a glass.
Now you know what the phrase means, go ahead and confuse your friends with it, or impart some brand new knowledge to them.
Myth Busting: How Much Do You Really Know About Your Wine?
Cheers-
Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, Always of Good Cheer! Your Friendly Farragut wine and liquor store ! Conveniently located on the West End of Turkey Creek in Farragut. It is our pleasure to assist in picking the perfect wine or liquor for your enjoyment. Visit us today and check out our full inventory that includes popular, premium, and even extremely rare wines and spirits. Don't forget we also sell beer, mixers and other wine accessories. Visit our website www.campbellstationwine.com or call 865.966.7122
Shall we talk a little bit about Champagne? Let your local wine store in Farragutoffer some liquor store education on the creation of everyone’s favorite celebration drink.
If
there’s one thing we hear a lot of at Campbell Station Wine and
Spirits, it’s the question about the story of the creation of champagne.
Was the French cellar master Dom Pierre Perignon really responsible for
the development of the drink in the 1660s? Surprisingly, no he wasn’t.
However, what he was responsible for was ridding the wine (from
Champagne, France) of the bubbles that appeared during and after
fermentation. The creators of the time believed that sparkling wine was
ruined, and needed to be fixed.
How did it happen?In
truth, the creation of champagne was little more than an accident that
can be attributed to an unusually cold spell that plagued France during
the late 18th and 19th centuries. The cold spell prevented the yeast
from consuming all the sugar, causing the fermentation to become
dormant. The fermentation would then pick up again later in the spring
and cause the liquid to sparkle. These days, this process is known as
secondary fermentation, but back then it was little more than an
accident and, in truth, Dom Pierre Perignon’s job was to stop the wine sparkling.
How did champagne become a commercial success?The
process for creating champagne as we know it today was taken to Britain
by a Frenchman, shared throughout the London high society and then
transformed into the commercial success we know it to be today by a
widow named Barbe-Nicole.
Barbe-Nicole is widely
regarded as the discoverer of remuage, and the individual responsible
for making champagne available at a relatively affordable price to the
masses. Veuve Clicquot Champagne is still available in liquor stores
around the country; fun fact, “Veuve” is French for widow! A favorite
celebratory drink among many, the drink previously perceived as a
failure now has an unswerving place in the hearts of many – and all
because of nature’s interruption of the fermentation process, and the
economic mind of a young British widow.
The Economic Success of champagneAfter
being made more widely available by Barbe-Nicole, production and sales
of the now-popular drink skyrocketed in a short space of time,
increasing from just a few thousand bottles in a year, to more than five
million per year in just four decades. Indeed, by the beginning of the
20th century, the world was enjoying the sparkling drink to the point
that they were buying 20 million bottles per year.
Beyond the Monk Myth
Although
the perpetuation of the Dom Pierre Perrignon myth is a nice story to
tell, it has little more truth in it than a liquor store down the road
creating vodka. Many would say that the truth behind the drink is much
more interesting, though it’s good to know that the monk everyone
thought created the drink was still involved to some extent.
The True Story of Champagne - Champagne Cocktails Farragut
Cheers-
Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, Always of Good Cheer! Your Friendly Farragut wine and liquor store ! Conveniently located on the West End of Turkey Creek in Farragut. It is our pleasure to assist in picking the perfect wine or liquor for your enjoyment. Visit us today and check out our full inventory that includes popular, premium, and even extremely rare wines and spirits. Don't forget we also sell beer, mixers and other wine accessories. Visit our website www.campbellstationwine.com or call 865.966.7122
You know how it goes by now. You’re heading out to a bar with some friends, with the idea of having a crisp, refreshing Gin and Tonic when you get there. Then when you arrive, you’re handed something that tastes nothing like what you hoped. It’s warm, flat, and rapidly getting worse. They call this a Gin and Tonic? You can do better at home!
And you should! If you’re wondering how you can make the perfect Gin and Tonic then Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, your local liquor store in Farragut will give you all the instruction you need.
In an effort to save money, many bars and similar establishments aren’t putting the effort into preparing their cocktail ingredients and are left serving subpar drinks as a result. Using warm gin, barely frozen ice and a flat tonic is not the way to make the perfectly refreshing drink!
How to make the Perfect Gin and Tonic
Really, there’s not all that much you can do with a two ingredient drink to ruin it, so how are bars all across the country managing to hand over a subpar concoction every time? It’s all in the preparation, or lack thereof, that’s how!
If you’re partial to liquor and like a regular Gin and Tonic, the chances are you’ll already have everything you need ready to go. If not, head down to your local Farragut liquor store and pick up a bottle of your favorite gin. Pick up the tonic water and either lemons or limes from the supermarket. Once you’ve got everything you need, you’re ready to make your drink!
Make up some ice cube, giving them the chance to freeze overnight if possible so they’re fully frozen when you come to use them.
Slice up either the lemon or lime and put the slices in a bowl in the refrigerator, ready to add to your drink later on.
Put your tonic water and Gin in the refrigerator, too. Some people recommend keeping your liquor in the freezer, if you’d prefer to do that then by all means, do so.
Those are your preparatory steps; although they may seem unnecessary, they’re imperative to getting the highest quality, most refreshing drink possible.
When you’re ready for your drink, it’s time to mix everything together. We recommend leaving the ingredients to chill for a few hours before use:
Take a small glass and add in as many ice cubes as you fancy
Pour over some of your chilled gin; just enough so that it’s not too strong
Fill your glass the rest of the way with the chilled tonic water
Put in a slice of lemon or lime, whichever you prefer. Lime will give the drink a softer, sweeter flavor.
That’s all there is to making the perfect Gin and tonic! Just make sure your ingredients are all chilled before using them, and you can’t go wrong.
Just as a side note, if you’re not sure which Gin is the best, you can always ask the friendly staff at Campbell Station Wine & Spirits. They’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.
The Perfect Gin & Tonic
Cheers-
Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, Always of Good Cheer! Your Friendly Farragut wine and liquor store ! Conveniently located on the West End of Turkey Creek in Farragut. It is our pleasure to assist in picking the perfect wine or liquor for your enjoyment. Visit us today and check out our full inventory that includes popular, premium, and even extremely rare wines and spirits. Don't forget we also sell beer, mixers and other wine accessories. Visit our website www.campbellstationwine.com or call 865.966.7122
Feeling a little overwhelmed with wedding planning is a pretty frequent
scenario. Chances are you may have overlooked a handful yet important details. But
why should you let the exhausting decision-making process ruin that special
moment of your life? Instead, let your friendly liquor store in Farragut give
you some pretty fun ideas on how to serve drinks on Your Big Day. Campbell Station Wine & Spirits
will help you narrow down your options for an ultimate wedding to remember!
There are plenty of liquor selections
to consider -- from arrival drinks, meal pairings, and after-party beverages.
It is important that there is an ample supply of drinks available at the
beginning of the reception until the wee hours of the wedding after-party.
Instead of serving drinks the traditional way, why not let your creative juices
flow and add an artistic flair to it?
1. DIY signature cocktails
Considered as a trend, signature cocktails that the couple themselves made
have become a popular staple on weddings today. A tasty bowl of rosemary-citrus
punch or a pomegranate Caipiroska is perfect to get the festive mood
started for your guests. Or, you can let your guests help themselves with
custom-made champagne
shots where they can choose fruit garnishes!
2. Nibble-sized food & drink pairings
Food and drink pairings are undoubtedly a mainstay in modern weddings. But
have you tried miniature versions of them? Yup! Amp up the reception and get
your guests dancing while you serve them with nibble-sized proportions of
prosciutto and mozzarella paired with port shot glasses.
3. Alcohol-free bars
Don't forget your guests who arrived sober and opt to leave the party still
sober! You can prepare a DIY bar featuring infused waters and iced teas for a
special portion of your guests who wants to go alcohol-free. Add a rustic feel
to your DIY stations by using mason jars for your drinks!
4. Brew stations
How about beers on wedding receptions? Champagnes and other sophisticated
wines aren't just the only liquors to steal the wedding spotlight. For the
beer-loving couples and guests, a vintage, DIY brew station will surely
complete the wedding reception before the night ends.
Cheers- Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, Always of Good Cheer! Your
Friendly Farragut wine and liquor store ! Conveniently
located on the West End of Turkey Creek in Farragut. It is our pleasure to
assist in picking the perfect wine or liquor for your
enjoyment. Visit us today and check out our full inventory that includes
popular, premium, and even extremely rare wines and spirits. Don't
forget we also sell beer, mixers and other wine accessories. Visit
our website www.campbellstationwine.com or call
865.966.7122
There's an old saying that making a moonshine is easy but it is making a good-tasting moonshine that is most difficult. At Campbell Station Wine & Spirit, your favorite wine store in the Farragut area, we are proud of Tennessee's very own TN Thunder Moonshine. The following this exquisite spirit has received along the years has inspired us to write a special blog post about moonshine recipes.
For a Raspberry Fizz: It's made with moonshine, orange liqueur, raspberries, egg whites, and seltzer water. Muddle the raspberries with the orange liqueur, add the rest of the ingredients and shake vigorously, drop in ice, strain, and top off with seltzer water.
2 oz of moonshine
.5oz orange liqueur
5 raspberries muddled
1 egg white
2 oz of seltzer water
*make it blue raspberry with blue food dye, drizzled around edge
We hope you've enjoyed this classic recipe. Give way to your creativity and share your thoughts and outcomes with us in the comments section!
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Cheers-
Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, Always of Good Cheer! Your Friendly Farragut wine and liquor store! Conveniently located on the West End of Turkey Creek in Farragut. It is our pleasure to assist in picking the perfect wine or liquor for your enjoyment. Visit us today and check out our full inventory that includes popular, premium, and even extremely rare wines and spirits. Don't forget we also sell beer, mixers and other wine accessories. Visit our website www.campbellstationwine.com or call 865.966.7122
